Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

A Day at the Range

I pushed up my sunglasses and hefted my weapon. "This is an M-16A2, a battle rifle capable of single and three round burst fire, capable of taking a 20-round or 30-round magazine. It can be configured with an M-203 40mm grenade launcher to provide indirect fire support when needed. It is a 5.56mm rifle, with the 1:7 twisting in the barrel, the bullet weight, and the grain weight all designed so when this bullet exits the barrel it begins tumbling. The tumbling effect will have the round follow the bone rather than break it, inflicting devestating wounds on the enemy."

I slapped the side of it. "It has a maximum effective range, according to US Army standards, of three hundred meters. Iron sights, with a dial sight in the back to assist in ease of adjustment of your zero. Forward handgrips are molded, circular rather than the triangular design of the M-16A1. In addition it is slightly longer than the A1, the flash suppressor is designed to act as a recoil suppression device, and to top it off, it is significantly more reliable than the M-16A1 or what I carried for five years, the XM-16E1."

I turned and set down the rifle, picking up the M-9 pistol, and launching into that speech. 9mm, better range than the Colt .45, higher magazine capacity, better penetration, lighter, and supposedly more reliable.

Then I picked up the M-3 grease gun, staring at them. "This is the M-3A1 submachine gun, developed in 1941 for the Pacific Theater. Formerly chambered for .45 rounds, it has recently been rechambered for the 9mm round, adding to the ease of ammunition supply and logistics. This weapon has a wire frame stock, a left hand cocking lever. This weapon is highly reliable, capable of fully automatic fire, and is designed to be the weapon of vehicle drivers and medics within an ambulance."

I stared at them as I set it down on the table behind me. "You will train with this weapon. You will be required to learn everything about it, and Captain Jane has acquired enough of them to fully arm all 91A and 91B soldiers with this weapon."

"It is particularly handy during Airborne or Air Assault insertions, as well as protecting your patients during house to house combat or in close quarters," I stared at them. "Make no mistake, it makes a mess out of anyone you hit with it at arm's length."

From there I moved to the M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, the replacement for the M-60 Light Machinegun. Then to the M2A2 fifty-caliber General Purpose Heavy Machinegun. When I was done, I'd wasted thirty minutes.

"You will all learn how to operate these weapons."

Hands went up and I chuckled, lighting a cigarette.

"By the Geneva Convention medical personnel are forbidden from using the M-60, the M-249, and the Mah-Deuce, however during Desert Storm United States doctrine was modified to allow a helicopter medivac crew to protect itself with crew served weaponry when picking up patients or enroute to patients," I told them. "Normally, it's vehicle drivers, evac dismount crews, and infantry who operate those weapons."

I stood for a second to let that weigh in. "However, it has been my experience that normality and war rarely go hand in hand."

I then clapped my hand. "All right. We will be going by last name alphabetical. You will not required to qualify at this time, merely familiarize yourself with the A2, the same as I need to. You will be drawing seven thirty round magazines, and are allowed to engage any of the targets on the right hand side and middle of the range," I grinned. "Let's get to it, twelve at a time."

The rest was merely watching everyone burn through ammo until lunch. I'd made sure that hot mermite lunch was available, bribing the cooks with they'd get to fire weapons they wouldn't have to clean, then after lunch brought everyone over to the left hand side of the range, where the two vehicles were. I was sweating in my brown T-shirt, having folded my BDU top and set it on the table, then put back on my Kevlar vest and LBE.